Ostara

Ostara was the Virgin Goddess of spring in ancient Germany. Most of the myths concerning Ostara, concern the deity's trip to the underworld, and their struggle to return from the land of the dead. When they eventually do return they have a renewed life.

The Teutons honored Eostre (for which Easter was named), the Norse honored their Virgin Goddess as well as her mating with the young God. This most Pagan Circles have moved to Beltane.

On the Eve of Ostara, sexual relations were almost obligatory, as well as a communal meal, with foods of fertility such as cake, honey, and eggs.

For the Greco- Romans, Ceres was believed to go from field to field during the Equinox blessing newly sown crops.

The lily was a symbol of life in pagan Greece and Rome, where it adorned Ostara temples and altars. Young men playing the role of the lusty young God, would present themselves to the women they were courting. Accepting the gift of the lily was much the same as accepting a diamond ring in this day and age (the men got off light then huh).

Sometimes Ostara was referred to as Lady Day (to give the actual Equinox a name since Ostara was normally celebrated the First Full Moon after the Equinox). Norse invaders brought Lady Day into prominence in Celtic lands and this day marked the "official" return of the young goddess. She meets the youthful God on equal terms, mates and becomes impregnated with the God born on Yule, and the harvest. This day also marked the day for farms to actually change hands. Even when prior arrangements have been made this was the actual day of taking possession.

Slavic pagans believed that on this day death had no power over the living. A personification of death was symbolically killed by throwing him into moving water to drown. Flowers (symbols of life renewed) were tossed in after death. Death was sung to as he floated down the river. This was probably reminiscent of a time when they actually sacrificed someone who played death. After Death's drowning, brightly painted red eggs were passed around during a procession to the ritual site were the new life of spring was celebrated with food dance and strong drink.

If someone were to actually die on Ostara, the Slavic pagans thought they were favored by the gods, and would be accorded princely treatment until reincarnated.

The idea of wearing new clothes for Easter or other Spring festivals originated from a much earlier time. Winter time was a time in which old clothes were mended and new clothes made. An earlier Teutonic pagan tradition was that it was actually bad luck to wear one's spring clothing before Ostara, and the Teutons would work through winter in secret to prepare elegant finery for the Sabbat celebration.

The lamb is another symbol of Ostara, and was sacred to virtually all the Virgin Goddesses of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. It was so ingrained into the people that it actually carried over into Jewish Passover and Christian Easter.

Eggs are the universal archetype of new life, and held in reverence as sacred objects of eternal life. Carried as fertility amulets, decorated to honor deities, placed on spring altars, or given as cherished spring gifts.

The Easter bunny also got it's start from the myths surrounding Ostara, for a recreated myth, please see Eostre and the Hare, by Mobius.


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OSTARA RITUAL WRITTEN BY tHERA		Eostre and the Hare by Mobius

Natural Dyes by Galadrial		Egg Nog